Car-coupling.



Patented Nov. '20. I900.

No. 662,35l.

0. CAUVINQ cAn COUPLING. (Application filed Sept. 6, 1900. i

2 Shuts-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

//v VENTOH OoZave la/6 7? Un'rfrnn Sterne PATENT @rrron.

OCTAVE CAUVIN, OF HAPPY JACK, LOUISIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPEGIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 662,351, dated November 20, 1900.

Application filed September 6, 1900. serial No. 29,216. (lilo model.)

To ctZZ whom zit may concern:

Be it known that I, OCTAVE OAUVIN, residing at Happy Jack, Plaqueulines parish, and State of Louisiana, havein ven ted certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that type of car-couplings having knuckle coup] iug'heads adapted to automatically couple as the opposing heads approach and in which lever-operated means are provided for effecting an uncoupling operation.

My improved type of coupling mechanism is particularlyintended for use on passenger- 1 cars, and it comprehends generally a pivotally-hung locking member held to automatically and normally swing to a coupling-jawlocking position of a very simple and inexpensive character and held to cooperate with the draw-head and the coupling-jaw in such manner as to effect a positive locking action without the necessity of adjusting the looking member at all.

Again, my invention seeks to provide an improved combination of elements, including a pivotally-hung jaw-locking member adapted to project up through the bottom of the draw-head into the mortise thereof and a simple mechanism for shifting the locking member to its uncoupling position.

Subordinately my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and peculiar combination of parts, all of which will hereinafter be first described indetail, and

- specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being bad to the aocompa nying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of a portion of one end of a passenger-car with my improvement ap plied. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a drawhead equipped with my coupling devices, the uncoupling lever mechanism being also shown. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the draw-head, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, the locking member being shown in its normal locking position in full lines and in its unlocking position in dotted lines; and Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the locking member detached.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts in all the figures, 1 indicates the draw bar, 2 the draw-head, 3 the knuckle couplingjaw, and 4 the jaw-mortise, all of which may be of the conventional Jauney-type construction, as the general construction of such parts per 36 forms no part of my invention.

At the side on which the coupling-jaw 3 is pi votally connected to the draw-head the base of the mortise 4 has a slot 6, the outer wall 6* of which extends vertically, the purpose of which will presently appear, and at each side of the slot 6 the bottom of the draw-head has integral pendent flanges '7 7, having registering apertures 7 7 to receive the fulcru mpin 8, upon which the locking memberis hung.

The locking member-shown in detail in Fig. 5 consists of a bar 9, one end of which terminates in a threaded shank 9" to receive the threaded counterpoise 10. The opposite end of the bar 9 has an upwardly-projectinglocking-lug 9*, adapted to project up through the slot 6 in the draw-head base, and the said log is of such height that when the parts are in their normal position said lug will extend above the base of the mortise 4 to act as a detent to hold the locking end of the cotipling jaw from swinging outward. The inner edge of the lug 9 is beveled to facilitate the automatic tripping or depressing of the locking member when the end t of the jaw a is swung into engagementtherewitlnandthe outer edge is made straight, as at 9, to form a solid bearingsurfaoe to coact with the end 45" of the jaw 4E and also to form a stop-abutment for engaging the straight wall 6 of the slot 6 when the locking member is depressed either automatically or manually. The member 9 is extended beyond the lug 9 to form a stop to limit the upward thrust of the lug 9 into the mortise 4, and such extension is also made sufficiently long to project beyond the vertical plane of the coincident side of the drawhead, as indicated by a; in Fig. 2, whereby to provide a tripping memberthat can be readily reached by a bar or other suitable implement from the platform or the side of the car to depress the locking member in case the leveroperated tripping devices, presently referred to, should become broken or otherwise inoperative. Thelockinginemberiiextendstransversely of the draw-head and is held to swing between the pendent flanges 7, it being mounted on the fulcrum-pin 8 and so poised that its front or locking end is held to normally project into the draw-head mortise.

Formed integrally with or otherwise made fast to the member 9 is a pendent arm or bar 12, which I term the chain-bar, as to it is secured one end of a tripping-chain 13, the other end of which is made fast to a crankarm 14*, forming part of an uncoupling-lever 14, fulcrumed at 14 to a fixed partof the drawbar equipment, the upper or handle part of which extends above the platform, as shown. The lever 14 is also held to its normal or inoperative condition to keep the chain 13 slack and relieve the unlocking member 9 from being drawn down by excessive draw strain on the chain and by a counterpoisedevice consisting of a weight 16, hung on the crank end of the lever and having an anglemember pivoted on the fulcrum 14 on which the lever swings, the arrangement of the several parts being such that as the lever is swung over in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 the member 9 will be drawn down and at the same time the weight 16 on the lower end of the lever will be drawn up to the position shown in dotted lines, it being obvious that so soon as pressure on the lever in the direction of the arrow is removed the counterpoise 16 will swing the lever 14 back to its normal position and slacken the chain 13 and leave the member 9 free to resume its normal or locking position.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the complete operation and the advantages of my invention will be readily understood.

The parts constituting the locking means are of such simple character and capable of being joined to the draw-head in such manner that in case of breakage they can be readily removed and a new locking member replaced therefor without disorganizing the draw-bar or removing it from the car.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car-coupling of the character described, the combination with the draw-head having a slot in its bottom and opening into the mortise thereof, and the knuckle or coupling-jaw, of a locking member held transversely under the draw-head, and pivotally supported thereon, said member having a locking-lug projecting up through the said slot, counterpoise devices for normally holding the member in its locking position, said member having its outer end projected to form a stop to limit the upward movement thereof, said projection being of a length to extend beyond the coincident side of the drawhead, and lever-operated means for moving the said member to an unlocking position, all being arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

2. The combination with the draw-head having aslot in its base opening into the mortise thereof, and the pivoted couplingjaw; of the locking member 9, disposed transversely under the draw-head, said member being pivotally supported on said draw-head, one end of said member terminating in a threaded shank, acounterpoise for engaging said shank, the other end of said member having a locking-lug adapted to project up through the aforesaid slot, one edge of said lug being beveled, the other straight, said straight edge being arranged to coact with the locking end of the coupling-jaw and as an abutment to engage one edge of the slot to limit the downthrust of the locking member, the outer end of said member being extended to project beyond the coincident side of the draw-head, and means for tripping the member to an unlocked position, including a lever operated from the car-platform, all being arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

3. The herein-described improvement in car-coupling, comprising in combination with the draw-head having a slot in the bottom opening into the mortise thereofland the coupling-jaw; a locking member pivotally and detachably hung on the ,bottom of the drawhead and extended transversely thereof, said member having one end terminating in a threaded shank to receive a counterpoise, the other end of the said member having an upwardly-extending locking-Lug adapted to project through the slot in the bottom of the draw-head to project in the path of the swinging of the locking-arm of the coupling-jaw, the said outer end having an extension, and a pendent chain connecting-bar 12, the pivotally-held lever 14, having a crank member 14, a flexible connecting member joined at one end to the chain-bar 9, and at the other to the crank end of the lever, and the counterpoise l6, pivotally supported and connected to the end of the lever 14, to swing up-. ward with its crank end, all being arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

OOTAVE CAUVIN.

Witnesses:

' A. P. ALBERTS,

P. E. BARR.

IIO 

